Davos hears Australian voice on healthy cities

Besides former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the corporate heavyweights from Australia attending this monthâ€™s Davos economic summit was a leading figure in the campaign for healthier cities, Fiona Bull.

The surging prevalence of obesity and calls for more effective measures to counter the convenience food and drink conglomerates were aired at the World Economic Forum, itself attended by chiefs of companies like Coca-Cola and Nestle.

Professor Bull, of Perth, made her main message at Davos a call for society to â€śrecalibrateâ€ť urban development.Â Society needs to “design in” the opportunities and places for physical activity in travel, at work and schools and in recreation, she says.

â€śPhysical inactivity is a global problem – and is being largely ignored.Â Certainly action is disproportionate to its importance and potential gains,â€ť Professor Bull tells Croakey.

â€śThe benefits of regular activity for individuals and society are large – in health (mental, physical and social) and in co-benefits — less traffic, better air quality, social capital and community connectedness, [and] perception of safety.â€ť

â€śMy challenge to the audience at Davos was what industry, civil society and governments should do to scale up implementation.â€ť

At Davos, obesity was described as â€śa global pandemicâ€ť which could result in more than half the worldâ€™s adults being overweight within 20 years, prompting for more action than merely accusing people of failing to have self-discipline in their diet and physical activity.

Reuters reported that while business leaders agree that obesity drags down economic growth those meeting at Davos could not agree what to do about it.

The WEF estimates a cumulative $47 trillion of output might be lost in the next 20 years a result of non-communicable diseases and mental health problems, with obesity blamed for 44 percent of the diabetes burden and 23 percent of heart disease costs.

Reuters reported that â€śone look at the list of the strategic partners of the WEF shows how many vested interests are at play – food and drink companies are blamed for feeding the crisis, while drug manufacturers profit from soaring rates of diabetesâ€ť.

“We could stop selling ice cream, but people are still going to want to eat ice cream,” said Paul Bulcke, chief executive of food giant Nestle, which has been investing heavily in developing healthier products, including low-fat ice cream.

Fat fight

Last week Coca-Cola, whose chief executive, Â Muhtar Kent, was one of the co-chairs Â at Davos, launched a commercial on American cable television seeking to highlight the company’s efforts in fighting obesity.

SeparatelyÂ a report to Davos says the spectacular rate of urbanisation poses opportunities and challenges in many countries to build healthier cities.

Changes to the rules of urban design and planning should consider such developments as:

â€“ Mandating pavements and properly protected cycle lanes as an integral part of highway construction in new cities

â€“ Reforming planning policies to create communal space for exercise indoors and outdoors, with the cost borne by property developers.

â€śPromoting healthier lives remains a puzzle that has not yet been solved,â€ť said the WEF report.

About this blog

The Croakey blog is a forum for debate and discussion about health issues and policy. It is moderated by Melissa Sweet, a freelance journalist with a personal and professional bent towards public health perspectives. Regular contributors include members of the Crikey Health and Medical Panel.